5 Key Details of a Successful Party

From time to time, we all throw a nice party where we invite our friends, colleagues or family. Regardless of the type of party you want to throw, there are a few things you need to get just right. It often happens that someone who organizes a party will consider a lot of details, but they will miss out on certain aspects that, if not attended, can make your guests uncomfortable.

In this guide, we look at the top five things you should always consider before throwing a party and inviting people to an occasion. These tips apply to big parties as well as to small parties, to home parties or parties in clubs or other rented places, to day and night parties alike.

Music

Probably every party these days has some sort of musical theme. Regardless of whether you are throwing a party for a bunch of kids or a rock party, you need to make sure the music is crowd-appropriate and to the level accepted by the crowd and the community. You don’t need your neighbors calling out on you.

This might sound obvious, but it happens very often for the “DJ” to believe that he is going to play only one type of music and everyone is going to appreciate it, because “how can they not?”. Always consider your crowd and find that common musical denominator that defines your crowd.

Moreover, if you are having a mix of very diverse people, try to find something they will all enjoy rather than playing one song for each person. If you do this, you everyone is going to like only one song and hate the others, rather than feeling good about listening to just one song they liked.

Food

Probably one of the crucial elements of a party is the food. Food can mean anything from pop-corn to high-end soufflés. Again, the key is to make it occasion and guest list appropriate. But you know this already. However, one thing you should always remember when considering food for a party is whether there is anyone who will be there who follows a special diet. Consider who is a vegan, who eats kosher and who is on a medical diet. Always make sure that if you have guest who are following a diet, they will have a meal that is just as good as everyone else’s. There’s nothing more wrong than to say “Well, we’ll have the turkey and the shrimp and you will have the pretzels”.

Another food-related element to consider are the drinks. You should always make sure you have just enough drinks, but not more than you would like your guest to consume. Moreover, keep in mind that you should have all types of drinks, from club soda to alcohol and natural juices – don’t limit yourself to just one type of drink.

Attire

We are not going to enter in all the details regarding how to dress for different occasions, we will have another article on that topic, but what we need to point out is that you should always communicate the expected attire with your guests.

This is not a formality for formality’s sake, but a tool to make sure everyone will be comfortable and that all of your guests fit in. We all know how bad it feels to stand out in a negative way because of the way you are dressed, which is why it is crucial to tell people how you expect them to dress. Words like “casual” or “casual, but for the evening” are enough, you don’t need to learn terminology like “black tie”, “white tie” and the differences between them unless, of course, you are throwing a party where this type of attire is required. However, these parties are quite rare.

Smoking

if the weather allows, an outdoors party is always a great idea!

Every party planner or host needs to make sure both the guests who smoke will be comfortable a well as those who don’t. Discriminating between the two categories will make some people feel out of place, which is why you should always make sure there is room for those who want to smoke and that there is enough clear air for those who don’t. You can either have a very well ventilated room or a special smoking place (the problem solves itself you have an outside party), but we don’t advise you to have a “smokers room” and a non-smokers one. This way, you will only discriminate based on a criterion that is never good enough.

Space

Moreover, make sure you have enough room to store everything from jackets to bags and purses and that they don’t get lost or dirty.

Furthermore, always consider how much and where you can expand. For example, if you are throwing a party at home, you might want to keep your guests out of the bedroom. However, if you are inviting more people than you have room, you might see some people spread out in the bedroom as well, which might be uncomfortable for you.

Also, if you have your party in a rented location, always ask what is off-limits and how much you can spread. Going outside the imposed limits is going to have a bad effect on the outcome of the party. If you did not pay for the garden of the rented party venue, you might not be allowed to make use of it, so always check with the appropriate person.

Additional information

There are other things you should consider when throwing a party, but these are not as crucial to the comfort of your guest and the success of your party as the top three elements we mentioned above.

Other elements to consider are:

Do you want to have a themed party?

Do you need a budget for the party?

How long does the party last?

Is there a need for any kind of decorations?

How will you be serving the foods and drinks: open bar, portioned, open buffet, etc.?

Now that you have this quick checklist of the 5 most important details to take care of when throwing a party as well as a list of secondary elements to consider, you will throw amazing parties, regardless of the theme, place and time of the event!

Fraquoh and Franchomme

Tips on Being a Good Host and Guest

P.S. What are your key elements when it comes to throwing a party? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

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